# Stef Crum

> Stef Crum is the CEO and co-founder of Reditus Space, an Atlanta aerospace startup building reusable spacecraft that return payloads from orbit so companies can manufacture in microgravity. A Georgia Tech PhD in space systems engineering who worked on orbital operations and reentry with NASA and the Space Force, Crum started Reditus with classmate Will Sherman after Georgia Tech's Create-X program, went through Y Combinator's Winter 2025 batch, raised a $7.1 million seed round, and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Transportation and Aerospace list in 2026. His pitch is blunt: the innovation isn't getting to orbit, it's coming back.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at Reditus Space
- **Organizations:** Reditus Space, Da Vinci Satellite, Georgia Institute of Technology, Y Combinator (W25)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering (space systems / orbital mechanics), Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Forbes 30 Under 30, Transportation & Aerospace (2026), Co-founded and leads Reditus Space, a Y Combinator W25 company, Raised a $7.1 million seed round for reusable reentry spacecraft

## Career timeline

- **pre-2024** — Worked on satellite missions and reentry/recovery projects with NASA and the U.S. Space Force; founded Da Vinci Satellite, a satellite mission nonprofit
- **2024** — Developed the Reditus concept during PhD research at Georgia Tech; took it through the Create-X accelerator and officially launched Reditus Space in October 2024 with co-founder Will Sherman
- **2025** — Completed Georgia Tech PhD; went through Y Combinator's Winter 2025 batch; closed a $7.1M seed round backed by Y Combinator and Antler
- **2026** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Transportation & Aerospace); Reditus completed its first reentry vehicle, ENOS, and prepared for an inaugural Falcon 9 launch

## Achievements

- Forbes 30 Under 30, Transportation & Aerospace (2026)
- Co-founded and leads Reditus Space, a Y Combinator W25 company
- Raised a $7.1 million seed round for reusable reentry spacecraft
- Earned a Georgia Tech PhD in aerospace engineering focused on cis-lunar orbit determination and operations
- Founded Da Vinci Satellite, a satellite mission nonprofit
- Led development of ENOS, Reditus's first reusable reentry vehicle, completed July 2026
- Reditus added to the Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD contracting pool (December 2025)

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Reditus completed construction of ENOS, its first reusable reentry vehicle, and readied it for an inaugural SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with orbital operation and ocean recovery off Florida.
- **2026-01** — Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Transportation & Aerospace category.
- **2025-12** — Reditus added to the Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD contracting pool for hypersonic target work.
- **2025-03** — Closed a $7.1M seed round backed by Y Combinator and Antler following the YC W25 batch.

## Links

- Website: https://reditus.space
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/spcrum

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stef-crum
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-31